Thursday, September 15, 2022

Video Game Review #411: Metroid: Zero Mission

Metroid: Zero Mission
Game Boy Advance




Nostalgia Factor:

Onward through the years we go. After a brief stop in 2003, Mop Up duty rolls into 2004 with its mind set on bigger and better things. First stop: Metroid Zero Mission. If you've been paying attention, this is now the third straight Game Boy Advance title I've played for Mop Up Duty. What can I say? I never owned a GBA growing up, so I'm just now getting the chance to explore some of these old games.

Metroid: Zero Mission is something I've been looking forward to for a while now. All I knew about this one coming into it was how it was a remake of the original Metroid for the NES, complete with new graphics, new areas, new story elements, improved gameplay, and several quality of life upgrades.

I've been wanting to play through the Metroid games in order lately, so it's awesome that this remake exists. I played through the original Metroid about four years ago, so this is a great way to revisit the events of that game without actually having to play the old NES version again. I'll take the new, updated version please!




Story:

At first glance, this is a basic retelling of the original Metroid game, where Samus is sent down to the planet Zebes to wipe out the Metroids and defeat Mother Brain. While that is indeed the main focus of the game, Zero Mission adds some depth to the surrounding storyline. Everything is more fleshed out through cutscenes. There are clear references to the Chozo this time around which add to the lore of the series. And, spoiler alert, the game doesn't end when you defeat Mother Brain this time around. When you think the game is over, you are presented with a bonus mission where Samus is captured by the Space Pirates and has to escape their clutches and get off the planet.

I have to say, I really enjoyed the extra content at the end of the game. I plan to play further games in the Metroid series, so it is nice to have a more in-depth look (sorry, NES version!) of Samus's very first outing.




Gameplay:

The clear goal of Zero Mission was to take the original Metroid title and turn it into a game that would do well in present times. And I think Nintendo succeeded. There are so many quality of life improvements here, like a map, save points and areas that completely refill your health and ammunition. The controls are much, much more fluid and easy to handle.

The action is pretty intense. Instead of throwing a limited number of enemies at you that act like bullet sponges and take a lot of damage, this game throws a ton of enemies at you that can be killed very quickly and easily. I often felt overpowered running through these levels and mowing down everything in sight.

Samus is easy to control. She's faster in this game than in the original Metroid. Her jumps aren't as floaty, and you can easily move around mid-jump. She can fire diagonally, and can crouch and fire. Double tapping down turns you into the Morph Ball, which is a great move. The ability to duck and shoot allows you to hit enemies that are low to the ground that you wouldn't be able to hit in the NES game. However, the biggest improvement in regards to the controls, in my opinion, is the ability for Samus to grab onto ledges and pull herself up. That move is a life saver. 

The basic formula of Zero Mission follows the classic NES version of the game. You have to navigate a giant, maze like area, collecting weapon and suit upgrades as you go. You have to defeat the bosses Kraid and Ridley in order to open up the final area that takes you to Mother Brain.

The first major difference is the map system. This game NEEDED a map. And it is terrific. I was never a fan of the aimless wandering in the original Metroid, and the map cuts down on it tenfold. It also does a good job of letting you know when there is an item to collect in your area. I think the game wavers on being a bit too "hand-holdy". It shows you on the map where you are supposed to go, and in very clear detail. But I'd much rather have this than the aimless wandering and meandering.

This game is also much easier than the original Metroid. Enemies are easier to kill. They drop useful items at a much higher rate. Samus's maneuverability makes the game much easier to control. The map obviously is a giant help. I breezed through most of this game. I hate to say this, but part of me was missing the challenge of the original Metroid. I always found that game to be so daunting as a kid. This version, however, is an absolute walk in the park.

There are many changes made to the game's map. While the same very very basic layout is similar, there is a LOT of new content added. Boss fights that didn't exist before. There's a giant worm that follows you around for a while. Little parasite creatures can become attached to your suit and start to drain your health.

The more you play this game, the more it begins to feel like a brand new game rather than just a rehash of the original Metroid. And that's a great thing. I'm normally a purist when it comes to these kinds of things (see my opinion on the original Final Fantasy VII vs the remake), but I think this game might actually be more fun than the original. Yes, it's easy and it holds your hand. But it also doesn't drag you down with its slow pace, and it allows you to actually make some progress right off the bat, rather than leave you floundering and not knowing where to go.

Samus at full power is a force to reckon with. She has a speed rush attack. A screw attack. An ice beam that actually kills enemies rather than just freeze them (another great change made to this game). I went into battle against Mother Brain fully confident I was going to kick some butt.

The game's final chapter focuses more on stealth. Samus needs to escape the Space Pirates, but if she's spotted, her position is swarmed by guards until she runs away and she loses them, kind of like Snake in Metal Gear Solid. I'll admit, the sudden change in gameplay was a bit startling and caught me by surprise. I like that they tried something new with the game, but it felt a bit out of place - at least in my humble opinion.




Graphics:

This game looks really good. Take the NES Metroid and give it Super Metroid's graphics, and that is pretty much what you have here. The colors are nice, the areas are well-designed. I love the atmosphere of the game as you dive deeper beneath the surface of Zebes. This game isn't quite as immersive as Super Metroid, but it does an admirable job.




Sound:

One area that the NES game does better is in the music... at least the Brinstar theme song, that is. I feel that this version of the song is too fast paced and happy and upbeat, and it doesn't capture the mood of the game quite as well as the NES version.

Other than that one song, Zero Mission does a much better job with the music. I love the save room music. I love the jingle that plays when you find a suit or weapon upgrade. I love the mysterious Chozo music. Many of the deeper areas of the game have very atmospheric songs that fully capture the spirit of Zero Mission.

I still love the charm of the NES music, but this version is better, no doubt. The classic sound effects made it over intact, and that's great. Metroid does have some iconic sound effects.




Overall:

I didn't expect to love this game as much as I did. My initial impression that this would be just a watered down version of the original Metroid game was completely wrong. This is a fun and exciting addition to the Metroid franchise that is an absolute joy to play through from beginning to end. While the quality of life improvements make the game much easier, they make the game more fun, too.

It's rare that I like a remake more than the original version of the game, but it happened here. Put these two games in front of me and I'll choose to play Zero Mission any day of the week. I have sentimental love for the original Metroid, true. But this game just has that extra fun factor that was otherwise lacking for me. I'm not going to give this game an A+, because I feel it is far from a perfect game. So I have to give it an A. Giving it the same score as the original Metroid, even though I said it is better, seems a bit strange. But chalk it up to a flaw in the scoring system. This is the definitive version of the original Metroid. If you haven't played Zero Mission, you need to change that.



THE GRADE:
A



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Metroid: Zero Mission (the review you're reading)
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Half-Life 2!


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Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Video Game Review #410: Night Slashers

Night Slashers
Arcade


Nostalgia Factor:

Just when I thought I'd played every arcade beat 'em up there is to play, I have to go and stumble upon something new: Night Slashers from 1993. I knew as soon as I saw screenshots of this game that it would be something I'd have to check out. An arcade beat 'em up with a horror theme? Count me in!

Keep reading as I dive into Night Slashers for the very first time.




Story:

Like most beat 'em ups of the time, this game is pretty thin in the story department. It's the future, and the planet has been overrun by zombies and other ghoulish creatures. In come the Night Slashers to save the day!

You fight through seven stages of supernatural beings, eventually squaring off with a robotic space monster at the end of the game. Defeating him saves the planet... somehow?




Gameplay:

I wish I could say that this game brings something unique to the beat 'em up genre, but it really doesn't. If you've played X-Men, TMNT, Final Fight, The Simpsons, Golden Axe, Captain America and the Avengers, Double Dragon, Die Hard Arcade, Alien vs Predator, Hook, or any of the other dozens and dozens of titles like this, you know what to expect.

Moving right, you walk around on a 3D plane, punching and kicking bad guys until you've defeated them all. You can pick up weapons and destroy things in the environment to help you out. At the end of each stage you fight a boss character. When you defeat the boss, you move ahead to the next stage of the game, where more of the same punchy punchy kick kick goodness awaits.

This game doesn't do anything you haven't seen before. This is a good thing in the sense that Night Stalkers is a perfectly fun and playable title that you can pop it any time and have a good time playing. And it is a bad thing in the sense that it is so unremarkable, nothing about it stands out. You'll have forgotten about it 20 minutes after you're done playing it. While other games like The Simpsons and TMNT can get away with being generic beat 'em ups, it is because their personalities carry their respective games and make them memorable. This game has no personality. I suppose it does in the sense that it supposed to make you feel like a badass monster slayer, but in the long run there is absolutely nothing memorable that this game says or does.




Graphics:

Night Slashers looks really good. I can imagine that if I'd encountered this arcade unit as a kid, I would have been drawn to it. The characters are well animated and pleasing to the eye. I like the horror theme, and I like seeing the variety in enemy types that are always popping up.

The are some nice cutscenes in between stages. Your magical attacks are large, screen clearing spectacles that are nice to look at. This is a good looking game.




Sound:

Normally I don't pay much attention to the music in beat 'em ups, but I have to admit that Night Slashers has a really good original soundtrack. It's upbeat and energetic, and really fits the tone of the game perfectly. It feels like it would be right at home in a Castlevania or Contra game.

The sound effects are on-point. The smacking sound when you hit your enemy is satisfying, which is a necessity for beat 'em ups like this.




Overall:

This is a hard game for me to grade because it doesn't really do anything wrong. It's just as good and just as enjoyable as any other arcade beat 'em up from the 90s. I could put this game on when a friend is visiting and I'm sure we'd have a great time playing co-op. Where beat 'em ups are concerned, Night Slashers checks all the boxes as far as gameplay elements go.

But why is it so darn forgettable? Why did I not even hear about this game until I was 40 years old? This came out when I was eleven.

I have a theory. Iconic beat 'em ups aren't iconic because of their gameplay. They are iconic because of their themes, how those themes were such perfect snapshots of their times. Think about it. The TMNT arcade games are absolutely perfect encapsulations of that late 80s/early 90s era. Other successful beat 'em ups were hits simply because of their themes. Captain America and the Avengers is very similar to Night Slashers, gameplay wise. But Captain America and the Avengers is a game I remember, and a game I'll be revisiting with my son when he's old enough in a few years, and it's a game I plan to revisit with other friends and family as well. I'm sure I'll even burn through it in single player mode a few more times. But Night Slashers? Let's be real. As soon as I'm done writing this review, I'll probably never think of Night Slashers again.

It doesn't have that hook. It doesn't have that iconic theme or any iconic characters. It looks pretty and it sounds pretty and you might have a decent time playing it, but in the end there is absolutely nothing memorable about this game.

So I give this game a mixed review. If you're a beat 'em up connoisseur, or if you are looking for something new to show to your friends, you might get some enjoyment out of Night Slashers. If you're like me and you're just a casual fan of the genre, you won't find anything here that you haven't seen a dozen times already. That doesn't mean that this is a bad game. Not at all. It just makes it very... I don't want to say boring. How about predictable?



THE GRADE:
C+



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Sunday, September 11, 2022

Video Game Review #409: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Sega Dreamcast


Nostalgia Factor:

I first played Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver back in 1999 for the Sony PlayStation. While it was only a weekend rental, memories of this game stuck with me long after I returned it to Blockbuster Video. I had not been able to beat the game. In fact, I'd gotten lost so many times, I had barely begun to scratch the surface of the game. I'd end up buying a used copy of Soul Reaver for the Dreamcast a year or so later. This is when I really dug my claws into the title.

I used to stay up late every single night playing this. My gaming sessions would begin after dinner and last until three or four AM. I scoured every inch of this game's world. I got lost. I got stuck. I got frustrated. But I persevered. I don't know how I did it, but I beat this game. And I did it by myself - no help from the internet or anything. Remember, this was back in 2000 or 2001. My household didn't even have the internet yet. It was just me and the game.

I can't even fathom the dedication it must have taken. Just now I finished playing this game, trying to do it without any outside help, and I just couldn't do it. Too many places to get lost. Really unclear directions as to what you are supposed to do next. It has almost Simon's Quest levels of obscurity to its direction. I consider this 100% a "guide game" - meaning a game that's almost impossible to beat without online help or a guide manual. Like I said, I don't know how the heck I did it back when I was a teenager.

Anyway, young Dan always had a reverence for this title in his heart. It was a dark and disturbing game, and it was such a challenge with some of its puzzles that beating it felt like a real accomplishment. I'd been looking forward to revisiting it after so many years. Would it still hold up in my mind? Let's dive into the Lake of the Dead and find out.




Story:

This is the second title in the Legacy of Kain series. Normally I won't play a video game if it isn't "from the beginning", as I'm a stickler for playing things in order. For some reason, Soul Reaver has always been one of my rare exceptions.

This game takes place after the events of the first game, whatever those events may be (I plan to go back and play Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen sometime in the near future). I take it that game was focused on Kain's rise to power. Anyway, Kain is the ruler of a world dominated by vampires and other supernatural beasts. You play as Raziel, one of Kain's inner circle. Kain becomes jealous of Raziel when he sprouts wings, in essence evolving to a higher form of being faster than Kain himself. Kain rips off Raziel's wings and throws him into the Lake of the Dead, where eternal torment awaits him for the crime of daring to surpass his master.

Raziel is resurrected an indeterminate number of years later, little more than a rotting shell of his past self. He has one goal in mind: vengeance on Kain. Raziel learns that he can shift back and forth between the plane of the living and the plane of the dead. This becomes a key gameplay element moving forward.

As Raziel tracks down his former master, he is taken aback by the fall of civilization since his death. Everything is in ruins. In order to gain access to Kain, Raziel has to battle his former brethren who have been twisted by evil and the passage of time, stealing their powers to advance to areas he couldn't access before.

Spoiler alert: the game ends on a cliffhanger. After spending the entire game tracking down Kain, your confrontation ends with Kain jumping into a portal and fleeing from Raziel. The game ends with Raziel making the decision to leave this world behind and move into another one, entering the portal behind Kain.

I can't believe that after beating this game 20 some years ago, I still haven't bothered to play Soul Reaver 2. I want to know what happens next! 




Gameplay:

Let's talk about the controls first. Back in the late 90s or early 2000s, this game's control scheme was pretty normal compared to other games that were coming out around the same time. Unfortunately, they haven't aged very well. My main complaint is that they are a little loose. Raziel's momentum seems to be an issue with the sensitive controls. If you're trying to line up a jump near a ledge, you have to tap forward a little bit at a time. If you hold it down too long or tap it just one time too many you'll go over the edge. Your character moves in a herky-jerky fashion that takes some time to get used to. There is nothing smooth or fluid about these controls.

The camera is another huge issue. You can move the camera left and right. You can also aim the camera in any direction when you are stopped. But many times you will need to change direction, which makes you run towards the camera. Sometimes it adjusts itself properly, sometimes it doesn't. The camera just kind of swings slowly around you in a very wide arc. It's often worth coming to a complete stop and adjusting the camera yourself, which feels a bit slow and clunky. When you are trying to jump from platform to platform, the camera can become a major problem.

This game's jumping and platforming sections show no mercy. In other games like this, you can quickly climb back up if you fall. Or if you just half-assed jump in the direction you want to go, your character will find a way to grab the ledge and pull himself up. Not this game. You have to be pixel perfect with your jumps. Which, combined with the jerky controls and the camera issues, is easier said than done.

Combat is not very refined or polished. You can hold the shoulder button down to lock onto an enemy, but there's no strategy in combat other than running in and swinging at them once you are locked on. An interesting wrinkle to the game is that your enemies can't be killed by regular means. When you stun them, you have to kill them with the environment - like throwing them into campfires or spikes hanging from walls. If you pickup weapons like spears (or later on the Soul Reaver), you can impale them and kill them that way.

So yeah. The gameplay is a little sloppy with the bad camera, the loose controls, and the simplistic combat. But this is one of those titles where I've always been able to overlook those flaws, if only because of how unique the game is.

The main twist of this game is that you have to feed off your enemies' souls in order to fill your health bar. I always thought this was so fun and unique when I was a kid. Basically, once you have defeated an enemy, you hold down a button where Raziel turns his mouth into a vacuum, and he sucks the escaped soul into his gullet. This fills your health meter.

Your health meter ties into the other big twist of the game - and the thing that makes Soul Reaver one of the most unique titles for its time: the ability to shift back and forth between the material world (the world of the living) and the world of the dead. If your health meter runs out in the material world, you are sent to the world of the dead, where you have a new health meter. Die while in the world of the dead, and it is game over and back to the last save point you go. Or at least I think that is what happens. I actually never died while in the world of the dead, since devourable souls are so easy to come by.

If you're familiar with games like A Link to the Past or Metroid Prime 2, you should be familiar with how these dual worlds work. You have two worlds that are mirror images of each other. Things you do in one world affect what happens in the other, so you will often find yourself shifting back and forth between worlds in order to solve puzzles. This acts as both a good and a bad thing in Soul Reaver.

For the first few hours of the game, it works beautifully. I was having a good time and enjoying the game. Most of your time spent playing takes place in the world of the living. You really only shift to the world of the dead when your health bar runs out, you jump into water, or when you shift manually in order to solve a puzzle. Sometimes an area may appear to be blocked or inaccessible in the world of the living, requiring you to shift to the world of the dead. 

While this gameplay mechanic works fine in the beginning stages of the game, it quickly makes everything very confusing. There is no in-game map. There is no navigation system. The game only gives you a vague idea of where you are supposed to go next. It's hard enough traveling through one world and trying to figure out what the heck you are supposed to do, but two worlds? That's twice the ground to cover. I got lost SO many freaking times as I played this game. I don't need my hand held, but please dear god give me some idea where to go next. Give me some idea when I am finished with an area so I can move on. I wasted so much time unnecessarily searching through areas that didn't need to be searched, because I was already done with them - but I didn't know it. On the flip side, you don't want to under search and head back to the main hub, because you could be missing something that unlocks the next area of the game. With no map and little in-game direction, this happened to me quite a bit. I wasted so much freaking time both thoroughly searching areas that went absolutely nowhere, and giving up on areas that I thought were useless but in the end were not.

This is my biggest issue with the game. The aimlessness. The lack of direction. I thought that I would breeze through this game as an adult, because I am used to Metroidvania titles like this. I've been playing them all my life. I also thought that because I am smarter now than I was as a teenager, that this game would come easier to me. I chalked up all my struggles from when I was a kid to lack of experience.

No, turns out it is just crummy game design.

I know it sounds like I'm being harsh on this game, and I am, but overall I do have to say that I like the game. Or maybe I should say that I like the concept of the game, along with its graphics, story, and presentation. The execution leaves a bit to be desired. 




Graphics:

Visually this game looks really good. Everything is so dark and sinister and atmospheric. They really nailed the gothic horror look they were going for with this game. The Dreamcast version of the game smooths out a lot of the rough edges of the PS1 version - so if you have both at your fingertips I'd suggest playing the Dreamcast version instead. As far as gameplay goes, I don't think there's much of a difference.

I can't talk about this game without talking about how awesome it is when you shift between the light and dark worlds. Everything morphs and changes around you. Buildings elongate, colors change, enemies vanish into thin air. Pulling this off was a marvel for the late 90s and early 2000s. Even now, over 20 years later, it still manages to impress.




Sound:

The voice acting in this game is superb. It's not corny or cheesy like other games of its time, such as the Resident Evil series. It fits the dark tone of the game perfectly. Fun fact, the actress who played Skylar on Breaking Bad, Anna Gunn, is the voice of Ariel in this game. The more you know!

The music is really good. The atmospheric sound effects are nice. Soul Reaver does a terrific job at bringing this eerie and ominous world to life. I often found myself completely unsettled as I played this game, even when nothing was actually happening onscreen.




Overall:

Let's get the good out of the way. The voice acting, the music, the presentation, the graphics, the story, the whole unsettling atmosphere of the game: this is all top notch stuff. As a result, I really wanted to love this game, despite all its shortcomings.

It seems like I've complained a lot about Soul Reaver's gameplay, but I can assure you, I don't hate the game. In fact, it does a lot quite well. But I look at this as more of a concept of a good game than an actual good game itself. Kind of like Simon's Quest when I was a kid. It does things differently. It is a trendsetter in a lot of ways. But is it any fun to play? Debatable. I've come around on Simon's Quest. This one? The opposite.

I was really excited when I started playing this for the first time in over 20 years. I thought I was going to have a great time with Soul Reaver. Things started out okay, but very quickly the game became a chore to play. I was getting stuck left and right. I didn't know where to go. I had to resort to looking up walkthroughs on the internet in order to make any decent kind of progress here. Very quickly, Soul Reaver became a chore for me to play - to the point where I would dread playing every time I'd fire this up. The only reason I kept going was to get it out of the way and over with.

I'm so disappointed that I didn't have a great time with this game. I liked it so much when I was a kid. But as I said, I didn't necessarily hate it. It was fun at times, a chore at others. Mainly a chore, however. And that sucks.

I feel as if I'm doing my childhood memories a disservice with this low ranking, but to be completely honest with you, I just didn't have a great time playing this. And I'll likely never play it again. That says all you need to know right there.


 
THE GRADE:
C-



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Friday, September 9, 2022

Video Game Review #408: Sonic 3D Blast

Sonic 3D Blast
Sega Saturn


Nostalgia Factor:

I've never understood the hate for this game. To me, Sonic 3D Blast has always pretty much been just as good as any of the original Sonic games. Maybe not quite on their level, but close enough.

This was a game that I originally rented for the Genesis when it first came out back in 1996. I remember having a good time with it and beating it over the course of a weekend. I liked it so much I even rented the Saturn version shortly afterwards so I could see the differences between the versions firsthand.

After that, the game quickly faded out of my memory. I wouldn't return to it until now, in the year 2022. Would the passage of time be kind to this game? Would I still like it, or would I find that all the naysayers had been right this whole time? Let's find out!




Story:

This must be one of those games where its story is explained in the instruction manual. Absolutely nothing is explained in-game.

All I can gather is that once again Robotnik is gathering the Flickies to power his machines, and you have to rescue them. You fight Robotnik and defeat him at the end of the game.

That's it. That's the game's story.




Gameplay:

The obvious thing that sets this apart from your average Sonic title is the perspective. This is not a 2D side-scroller like the Genesis iterations of the game. Action takes place from an isometric, overhead perspective. You can move Sonic in each direction, hence the emphasis on 3D in the name of the game. This wasn't quite the 3D Sonic title we wanted back in 1996 (I know I personally wanted something to compete with Mario 64), but it still turned out to be a pretty fun game.

Rather than just racing through each stage with blazing speed, emphasis is heavily placed on exploration. You have to explore every nook and cranny of each level, as you have to collect every Flicky and bring them to a teleportation ring that zaps them to safety. Once you've collected all of the Flickies, you can jump in the teleportation ring and it will take you to the next part of the level. At the final ring, you are teleported to the next act of the stage.

The third act of each stage is always a battle against Dr. Robotnik. For the most part these boss fights are pretty easy, as you're just watching Robotnik, analyzing his patterns, and striking him when he is vulnerable.

Each stage you will find Tails or Knuckles hiding somewhere on the map. If you bring them 50 rings, you get to play a Sonic 2-style half-pipe bonus stage. I remember when I first played the Saturn version of this game, being so impressed by these stages, as they were fully rendered in 3D, unlike the Genesis version. The bonus stages alone have always been enough to cement my opinion that the Saturn version is the definitive version of this game. Anyway, if you can successfully complete a bonus stage, you earn a Chaos Emerald. This has never happened to me personally because I always stop to collect them (especially in this game because they're so easy to get), but I hear that if you don't collect all the Chaos Emeralds and make it to the end of the game, you can't actually beat the game.

Levels in this game are pretty huge. In your typical Sonic game, you can zoom through each stage in about two or three minutes. I found myself taking eight to nine minutes to complete the stages in this game. I always wanted to fully explore, making sure I found each stage's hidden Tails and Knuckles. Exploration is encouraged regardless, as you can't complete a stage without collecting all of its Flickies.

If I had to guess, this is probably the reason why I think most people don't like this game. Each enemy you defeat drops a Flicky. You have to touch the Flicky and then it will follow you. If you get hit, the Flicky runs away. Some of these stages, like I said, are HUGE. It happened to me several times where I would lose a Flicky, not realize it, and then have to come back later on when I discovered I hadn't found enough of them to advance. It is very frustrating having to comb through these massive levels looking for one lost Flicky when it could be literally anywhere.

The exploration does get to be a pain in the butt. Sometimes, you'll encounter areas that look exactly the same as others. You'll probably get lost a lot like I did. There's one level early in the game (in one of the stages with all the fog and mist) that I must have gotten lost in for over a half hour. That's not cool.

But still, I came away from this game with a positive impression of it. It's fun. It's creative. It's a Sonic game. And it's different from the others, too, which always made it more cool to me. After all these years it still kinda does. I can't deny that this game holds a certain charm for me.




Graphics:

This game has a darker color palette than the Genesis version, which trends more towards the bright and cartoony side of things. I don't know if they are going for a grittier or more mature version of the game for the Saturn to show how "grown up" the system is, or what. I guess things are sharper and a bit more detailed here, but I don't have a huge preference for the graphical look of either game. I guess I can add that I do like the atmospheric effects in the Saturn version, like the mist and the fog, and the twinkling lights at the end of the game.

Where this version really eclipses the Genesis version is in the bonus stages. There's no denying that by 1996's standards, these were eye popping. The colors are bright and psychedelic. There's fully 3D versions of Sonic and Tails for you to feast your eyes upon. I'm sure that every kid who owned a Saturn back in 1996 was dreaming about how awesome a fully 3D Sonic platformer would look with these graphics. I know I sure was.




Sound:

This game sounds exactly as it should - like a Sonic game. The soundtrack isn't as iconic as the Genesis Sonic titles, but 3D Blast still has a fun and upbeat soundtrack worthy of the Sonic name. And the sound effects... the sound of Sonic jumping, collecting a coin, and getting hit are all so dang iconic. You just know someone is playing Sonic when you hear these sounds. This game nails it, as expected.




Overall:

My opinion has not changed on this game. I still like it. I don't see why this game is so hated by Sonic fans all over the internet. I mean, I guess I understand that this game is slower and more exploration based - but I still enjoy it. It's different and unique. Let's face it, when this game was released, Sonic side-scrolling games were getting stale. Each one was more and more of the same. Sonic 3D Blast was something different. I enjoyed it back in 1996 and I enjoy it now. It's fun. It's charming.

I won't say it is my favorite Sonic game. It might not even be in my top five. But this is a game I know I am going to have a good time with whenever I fire up. And that means something. 



THE GRADE:
B



This was my 12th review of a Sonic game, which moves it into third place on my most reviewed franchise list, behind only Resident Evil and Batman. Check out the following links for my past reviews in the series:



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